A Madman in a Box
by IndigoMystery97
Summary: Scarlet Jackson didn't believe in monsters. Or things that lurked in the dark. She didn't. And then he came. A madman, a madman with a blue box. And he turned her world inside out. He showed her things she thought were impossible. He took her across the universe, running through galaxies and racing through time, all in his tiny blue box. And his name, was the Doctor.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well this is my first story on my fanfiction account, inspired from watching the Doctor Who episode 'Angels take Manhattan, though I'm not sure how much it will be alike! Also contains an OC who I will seriously try to **_**not**_** make into a Mary-Sue! And now, the story!**

It wasn't every shadow.

It wasn't every statue.

It wasn't behind every door.

But, it could be behind any door. It could be any shadow. And it could be any statue.

But of course, she didn't believe in that nonsense. She didn't believe in monsters, or things that hid in the shadows, or beneath the bed. It was ridiculous. Aliens, perhaps. After all, who could deny it after seeing the Daleks and the Cybermen after they roamed the streets? But, that _had_ to be it. It _had_ to. There was no reason to believe that the shadows held secrets. No reason to believe that she should check over her shoulder as she walked through the streets. It was all in fairytales and myths, designed to keep the children quiet at night, make them behave or keep their imaginations alive and thrumming. But that was all. And that's all she'd ever believe.

Until that day.

The day when her life was flipped on its head. The day when everything she thought she knew was wrenched apart and tossed into oblivion, never to be recovered as her world was shattered. That day she learnt about what the universe really held, what was out there. How everything slotted together and what really lay in the darkness. What was there, just out of the corner of her eye. And that day, she met the man who would change her life forever.

A madman.

A madman with a blue box.

**Short, I know, but hey, first proper chapter will be longer, I swear! Either way, review, follow and I hope you'll be back for chapter 1!**

**Indi xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Soo I clearly have way too much spare time on my hands (which is insane as I'm taking GCSEs right now!) But this has got me in its grips now and I feel compelled to write! So, here's the first chapter!**

_Disclaimer- If Doctor Who was mine, I would be the happiest girl alive. Right now, I'm annoyed. Because I don't own Doctor Who. Excuse me whilst I go cry in a corner…_

Scarlet Jackson was late. Again. Rushing out of her apartment, she grabbed her bag on the way, slamming the door shut and no doubt disturbing her neighbours as she clattered down the steps, heels carried in a plastic bag as she raced in her sneakers. Great. Of all the days to be late. Hopping onto the bus, she shoved her change into the man's hand and hastily took a seat. Blowing out a breath of relief, she checked her bag. Everything was inside. A brief smile crossed her face as she blew her hair out of her eyes. Well, at least one thing had gone right for her that morning. Why did it have to be that day that everything went wrong for her? What had she done? Sighing, Scarlet pulled a brush from her pocket and began dragging it through her unruly hair. Wincing as it snagged on a particularly stubborn tangle, she wrenched it through before pausing and glancing in the mirror of her tiny compact. The same face as always stared back. Dark blonde hair that in a certain light supposedly shone gold- according to her mother, anyway- that fell to just above her shoulders; green eyes that looked half asleep and not really that focused. Chapped lips and raised cheekbones, flushed from the cold, completed her visage as she shut the compact with a snap, stowing it away again as the bus ground to a halt. Hopping off, she hurried to her work. In doing so, she totally missed the man sat behind her. The man who watched her as she left.

Inside the building she raced inside, clocking in. Sprinting to her desk, she threw her coat down before logging onto her computer. Checking through her emails briefly (hastily deleting some junk mail cluttering up her inbox) she settled down to begin her work, typing up some equations she'd been working on the night before. Whipping out her black framed glasses, her fingers began moving across the keys, tapping the information into their data banks until a shadow fell over her. Peering up over the rims of her spectacles, her colleague Jack grinned back at her.

"Moorning!" He greeted chirpily. Scarlet rolled her eyes.

"Hello to you too." She spoke shortly, gazed turning back to her screen. The shadow never shifted. Without looking up, she directed her next words at the man. "Was there something you actually wanted Jack?" She asked wearily.

"Just wondered what your opinion was on this." He said, handing over a sheet of paper. Pausing in her work with a sigh, Scarlet looked up at the man in front of her desk. He was tall, something she was undeniably envious of, with a mop of unruly brown hair flopping in front of his face. He had a long nose that was slightly crooked, and freckles smeared over the aforementioned area. Usually, a grin was tugging at his slightly too-big mouth as his brown eyes glittered with child-like excitement. With a raised eyebrow, Scarlet whipped the paper from his grasp, eyes scanning over the text critically. As soon as she finished, she looked at him, a partially-irritated, partially-exasperated, and partially-disbelieving expression on her face, paper held off to one side as she stared at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Really?" She asked, unable to comprehend how he thought that the mumbo-jumbo on that sheet was important enough to bother her whilst working. "This is what you wanted my opinion on?" She checked. Jack nodded eagerly. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look Jack, I don't know how many times I've had to say this, but aliens aren't real." She enunciated clearly.

"But they are!" He protested. "I mean, you saw them! The ship that destroyed big ben, the Daleks, the Cybermen, The giant star that shot laser beams, those boxes that fell from the sky! It's undeniable proof that aliens exist!" He argued with her. Scarlet huffed, having had the discussion more times than she cared to count.

"Jack, I've told you, yes, I'll admit I'll agree- some aliens exist. But the idea that there are more out there…it's ludicrous! We've been lucky to see so many varieties of life but this is it!" She cried, annoyed. "We have not had any alien sightings for years! There are no more out there!" She told the man firmly, handing him the sheet of paper back. "And besides," She continued, eyes back on her screen. "Those boxes were probably some sort of attack devised by humans more than anything extraterrestrial, most likely designed to cause worldwide panic more than anything else." She said dismissively. Jack pouted.

"How can you be so…so stubborn about this?" He asked, leaning over the front of her desk. She glared at him out of the corner of her eye. "Didn't you ever believe in stories about the monster under the bed?" He asked. She snorted.

"Yeah, when I was 5." Scarlet laughed. "Monsters aren't real Jack. They're made up stories, designed to scare little children." She announced, her voice filled with authority. Pressing a few more keys, she stood up, grabbing a ringbinder from her bag. "Anyway, I actually have to go and do some work." She tapped the binder with her nails. "This needs to go to Dr. James. Some theories I've had come to me, and some I worked on myself." She said, her chair scraping back as she left.

"Alright…I'm not giving up on this though." Her work mate warned her, Scarlet laughing as she walked away. "Oh, and Scarlet?" He added. She turned. Jack smirked at her. "I'm loving the sneakers and skirt combo." He joked before walking away, chortling to himself. Shocked, Scarlet looked down and saw she'd forgotten to change into her heels, her ratty old sneakers still on. Living up to her name, she blushed furiously before hurrying back to her desk to change her shoes.

That day was really not her day.

DWDWDW

After swapping over her shoes- and avoiding Jack for a little while as she went to get a coffee- Scarlet was once again making her way to Dr. James' office. She was so caught up in not falling over in those god-damned heels- seriously, who invented those things?!- she completely missed the man rushing to shut the blinds in the office.

The man in a tweed jacket.

And, without knowing about the man in the tweed jacket, she knocked on the office door, her boss' name gleaming on its little plaque. She waited. No answer. Confused, Scarlet knocked again. Still, nothing. He was always in. It was just where Dr. James worked. He barely ever left that office-he had to be in. She knocked for a third time. When Scarlet still received no answer, she hesitantly pushed open the door. There was Dr. James' desk, papers scattered around like normal. His coffee mug was even in place. Only, no Dr. James. She slowly ventured inside.

"Hello?" She called out. "Dr. James? Are you here?" She enquired worriedly. Then behind her she caught a glimpse of movement. Startled, she turned to see a man stood almost nose to nose with her. Alarmed, she did the only thing she could think of- she lashed out. Her attack worked and the man was sent reeling. "Who the hell are you?" She demanded furiously, heart thundering a mile a minute. "And what have you done with Dr. James?" She asked. The man however, was seemingly not paying her any attention, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ouch, that really hurt." He whined. Then he looked at her, appalled, and pointed a finger at her. "You hit me!" He accused. Then he saw what she was holding and his jaw dropped.

"So what?" Scarlet demanded, a little more than wary.

"You hit me- with a _ringbinder_!" He exclaimed. A little uncomfortable, Scarlet shrugged.

"Well, it worked didn't it?" She retorted, totally confused as to why she was engaging in conversation with the stranger in her boss' office.

"Well, yes, but still…a _ringbinder_!" He repeated, rubbing his head. "A _ringbinder_…" He mumbled. Scarlet began feeling the first strains of annoyance creep into her veins.

"Yes, I think we've established by this point that I did indeed hit you with a ringbinder. Get over it!" She snapped, rolling her eyes. The man suddenly perked up.

"Ooh, you're feisty!" He grinned. "I like that." The man confessed before bounding up to her. With a frown he yanked the ringbinder from her grasp and started flipping through it. "So…miss…" he trailed off, peering at her expectantly.

"Jackson." Scarlet supplied. The man grinned.

"Jackson. Well then, Miss Jackson, would you care to explain to me what all of this," He gestured to the information in the binder, "Is all about?"

Scarlet wandered over hesitantly, wobbling on her heels. Although wary of the strange man dressed in tweed, she wasn't scared as such. More just…startled. "Well, we're scientists. I specialise in quantum physics along with theoretical physics. Those," She pointed out the pages of writing. "Are theories I've been sent or come up with myself to explain the phenomena of the universe. Some go in depth into previously suggested theories, where some give totally new explanations." She finished. Then she stared into the man's face. "Why is it important?" She asked. He looked back at her, flipping to a page and pointing at it.

"You came up with this?" He asked. She checked before nodding, confused. Then the man beamed at her. "Why, that's incredible! Do you know how close you are with your theory of how the universe is forever expanding and contracting, constantly building up energy and the apocalypse will be at the point where it either loses its energy and ceases to contract or expand or it gains too much energy to the point where it burns out?" He rambled excitedly, wandering around the room waving his arms wildly. Scarlet shrugged.

"I dunno…It was just a thought…" She mumbled.

"Yes, but it was a brilliant thought!" He announced. Putting the ringbinder down he engulfed her in a hug. "You're brilliant!" He repeated. Scarlet, stood there, stunned, until he pulled away, his face suddenly becoming serious. "Anyway, why were you in here in the first place?" He asked. Suddenly, the situation flooded back to Scarlet.

"Why were you?" She retorted. "I came looking for my boss and wandered in to find you in here strutting around like you own the place!" She cried. The man in front of her winced.

"Fair point. I was, er, looking around for something, well, someone actually but it's a long story…" He muttered to himself, frowning in thought. "Speaking of which, you haven't seen anyone acting a bit suspicious wander down to the basement a few moments ago?" He enquired. Scarlet frowned.

"No…but then again I'm normally too focused on getting Jack of my case…" She mused as she watched the strange man duck down under the desk again.

"Oh, and who's Jack?" The man shouted back to her.

"Just a work mate. Anyway, what are you doing?" She demanded, hands on hips. The man's head popped up.

"I'm trying to save the entire universe." He said seriously.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, chapter numero 3! Now we're actually getting into the nitty gritty stuff with actual aliens! Plus, the Doctor is finally there! **

_Disclaimer: Do I have to do this every time? Oh, apparently so. *Sighs miserably* I don't own Doctor Who, it belongs to the BBC and Mr Moffat. _

Scarlet froze, their gazes locked before she burst out laughing. Staggering over to the desk, she rested her weight against it and laughed.

"Wow, you're almost as bad as Jack!" She giggled, staring at the man. His serious expression never shifted, in fact it appeared as if a shadow crossed over his face, something dark passing over and lingering. "Oh come on," Scarlet continued regardless. "There's no such thing as monsters!" She exclaimed. The man in the tweed jacket straightened up from his crouch, peering over at her with an intense gaze. It made Scarlet feel almost unnerved but she wasn't about to back down, not to this man. The man who'd so rudely broken into her boss' office and had started messing around with private and confidential information.

And she still hadn't called security. Scarlet wondered sometimes if she was actually sane at all.

"What about the Cybermen?" He challenged. Scarlet didn't back down, staring at him defiantly.

"I did my research. Humans in cybernetic suits. Not aliens." She concluded, folding her arms and grinning back smugly. He quirked an eyebrow.

"And they came from?" He probed curiously. Not batting an eyelid, Scarlet stared right back.

"A parallel universe." She stated confidently. The man looked surprised. Her grin grew wider. "You aren't the only person in the world who can be places that they really oughtn't to be." She pointed out. The man inclined his head, then jumped like he'd been electrocuted. Turning away from her abruptly, he pulled out a bizarre looking contraption and started waving it about, the tip glowing with a peculiar green light. From her position, Scarlet saw his face take on a grim expression. "What is it?" She asked, concerned. The man didn't reply. "Hello?" She called out again, more tentative this time and jumped as he swung around to see her, a beaming smile in place. It was strange, and obviously faked.

"Oh yes, there you are! Well then, you keep up the good work, miss Jackson, Miss brilliant, brilliant, _brilliant _Jackson, and I will see you later. A word to the wise, avoid the canteen this afternoon. I've seen that lasagne." He said and then, just like that, the man was off, running down the aisle between desks and disappearing down the corridor, vanishing around a corner to leave Scarlet left clutching her ringbinder, shocked and too surprised to move at first. Then, she realised what was happening.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" She shouted, running after the strange man in the tweed jacket. Rolling her eyes, she took off her heels and ran better, her tights providing little grip on the tiled surface. She raced past her colleagues, ignoring the looks of confusion they sent her. Turning the corner, she almost barrelled into Jack, coffee in his hand and work in the other.

"Hey, Scarlet, I-" He began only for her to run past him.

"Not now Jack, busy!" She called behind her, turning and running down another corridor that she thought she'd seen her strange man run down. Jack just stared after her, bewildered.

"Never mind..." He muttered to himself. Turning back around, he was about to move into the office when he saw a dark figure stood at the end of the hall. Looking around, he saw no one else, just him. Looking back the figure was still there. "Hey, are you alright?" He enquired. The figure didn't react. "Look, if you need any help, I'm sure I can help you find your way." He offered, slowly approaching the odd person. Looking behind him again, he felt a shiver crawl up his spine, but nothing was there. Looking back, he found the figure was gone. Worried they'd wandered off; he sped up, moving towards to end of the corridor with haste. Peering around, he spotted the hooded figure again, turning and wandering through a door. "Hey, you can't just go wandering off through here!" He ordered sharply, following. Pushing open the door to the room he stormed inside, coming face to face with the hooded figure. At last Jack had a good look at whoever it was. They were hunched over, rather wide, and the black cloak they wore completely covered them, their face basked in shadows too. "Now see here, I don't know what you think you're playing at-!" he began sternly only to cut off as the door swung shut with a bang behind him. Turning, he glanced between the figure and the door. Going over, he attempted to pull it open again. It wouldn't budge. Confused, Jack tried again. Still, nothing. He was locked in. A thrill of fear crawling over his skin, he turned back to the figure warily. "Who are you?" He asked, voice shaking with the first strains of fear. The figure said nothing, only beginning to advance on Jack. "_What_ are you?" He asked, now truly terrified.

Jack never received an answer as his screams echoed through the empty corridor.

Down two floors below Scarlet was still chasing after her strange man in the odd jacket. She had occasionally caught sight of something tweed whipping around a corner and she'd speed up. Finally, she saw the man walk into an off-limits zone, waving his contraption at the door before being allowed access. Running to follow she swiped her card through, yanked the door open violently and followed her strange man inside. He'd vanished. Huffing, Scarlet slowly began wandering through the room. It was filled with high-tech machinery, rows upon rows of it. Suddenly, something moved swiftly behind her. Jumping, she turned around. Nothing. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she walked backwards, eyes darting around. Something flashed by her side, causing her to whirl around again, hair flying. Something was in there with her. And something told her it wasn't her strange man from the office. Turning, she felt her heart jump into her throat when she saw a strange creature covered in a black cloak staring back at her. Uneasy, she backed away, speeding up as it followed her, cloak billowing. Turning, she moved away and started running, glancing back every so often to see it always there, just a few paces behind. Now sprinting blindly, Scarlet just let her feet carry her wherever they wanted, the only thing running through her mind was to get away from the creepy weirdo in the cloak. Her first mistake. Rounding another corner, Scarlet found herself face to face with a dead end. Turning, she found the hooded stranger bearing down on her. An eerie cold travelled across her body. She backed up further against the wall.

"What do you want?" She snapped, chin tilted up defiantly, pointedly ignoring her trembling hands and racing heart. The stranger didn't respond. "Hey! I-I'm talking to you! What do you want?" She asked again. The figure stepped closer. Realising that something bad was going to happen to her, Scarlet turned her head away, squeezing her eyes tightly shut until suddenly a warm hand enveloped hers. She looked and saw her strange man in a tweed jacket- and was that a bowtie too?!- grinning at her. "You..." She breathed. He winked.

"Geronimo."

**And I will leave it there! Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think in the reviews also have to give a big shout out to VioletK, my first reviewer and the first to favourite my story! This one was for you! Hope you liked it, and stay tuned for more!**

**Indi xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry! I know, I haven't updated in forever but please don't kill me! I won't spend much time on the author's note (haha, well, I'll try!)- but I will say this! Would people please, please, **_**please**_** review! **** I really would appreciate critique and your opinions but so far I've only had two reviews! (a big thanks to ****VioletK**** by the way!) Please let me know what you think after this chapter? Pretty please with the Doctor on top?**

_Disclaimer: If I owned Doctor Who, Amy and Rory would still be in the TARDIS. 'Nuff said._

Previously...

_She looked and saw her strange man in a tweed jacket- and was that a bowtie too!?- grinning at her. "You..." She breathed. He winked._

"_Geronimo."_

* * *

Scarlet stared in bewilderment as the man pulled out his weird device and pointed it straight at the creature, the light glowing green at the end. It emitted a high pitched shriek that caused the figure in the cloak to recoil in horror, its hands flying to its head to protect it. The man pocketed the device again.

"Come on, it won't last long!" He cried, pulling Scarlet along as he ran past it, knocking the thing to one side, dragging her with him. "Honestly, can't you hurry up?" He demanded, running faster. Realising she probably was a bit slow, Scarlet sped up and the man beamed. "That's better!" He announced. Just as they rounded a corner, they saw another hooded creature blocking their path.

"Or not." Scarlet muttered. They turned to go back only to see the figure they'd encountered earlier blocking their path. She pressed her back against the stranger. "What are they?" She asked.

"Aliens." The man said. "What though...I'm not sure. Never encountered any like this before. The building's full of them though, from what I've seen." He said, eyes darting around wildly. Scarlet could practically hear his brain whirring as he attempted to get them out of the corner they'd found themselves backed into. She also glanced around, before spotting one creature advancing. Panicked, she swung her ringbinder at it. The attack seemed to work as the thing moved away. Confidence growing, she swung again, sending the thing further back.

"I can't do this forever!" She reminded the strange man.

"I know, I know, I'm thinking!" The stranger snapped in response, eyes continuing to glance around. Then, behind him, Scarlet spotted a door. With one last swing to drive one of their attackers away, she grabbed the collar of his jacket and, almost wrenching the door of its hinges, ran inside dragging the man behind her. Together, they closed the door before their two pursuers managed to enter. Pointing his bizarre glowing device at the door, Scarlet heard the snick of the lock.

"What is that thing?" She asked, leaning against the white wood as she tried to catch her breath.

"Sonic screwdriver." The man replied distractedly, waving it about. Upon hearing this, Scarlet sank to the ground, bringing her knees up to her chest and rolling her eyes, wrapping her arms around her knees and hugging them close.

"Of course, a sonic _screwdriver_, how silly of me..." She mumbled to herself. For a second, she paused to examine the man she'd trapped herself in a small room with. He was tall, rather lanky, with dark brown hair that flopped into his face. The tweed jacket was worn over a plain shirt and she managed to glimpse braces beneath it. He wore practical brown trousers and ordinary shoes. The thing that drew Scarlet's eye however was the red bowtie around his neck, a striking and slightly odd feature. Then again, as she looked over him, she considered that the whole package was really the most weird outfit wrapped around to embody the most confusing and strange person she'd ever met. Leaning her head back against the door, her mind raced. Only a couple of hours ago, she'd been sat working at her desk, comfortable and content. Now she was being chased by strange creatures in black cloaks, hiding out in a restricted area of her work complex with a strange man who she'd met after he'd broken into her boss' office. She'd never found out what had happened to Dr. James. More importantly, she'd never found out the name of the man in front of her. Suddenly, the man in question turned to look at her.

"You- why did you follow me?" He asked. Scarlet stood up, brushing down her skirt and shrugging.

"Why wouldn't I? You broke into my boss' office, then disappeared. I had to make sure nothing dodgy was going on." She defended. The man frowned at her before wandering across to the edge of the room, whipping out his supposed screwdriver and pointing it at another door. "So, what are you doing here then?" She asked, approaching warily.

"Oh, I'm just passing through, you know, sightseeing." The man said, waving his hand dismissively.

"But, why?" She pressed on. Tilting her head curiously, Scarlet allowed herself to ask the question that she'd been dying to know. "Who are you anyway?"

"Oh, I'm just a traveller." He waved off, not looking at her. "Just...wandering." His voice dropped. "Just a wanderer." He murmured. Scarlet looked at him, not deterred.

"But who are you, really?" She asked, her voice gentler. The man turned to look at her. And he smiled.

"I'm the Doctor." Her mystery man said before turning back to the door. Scarlet, intrigued, crouched down next to him.

"Doctor Who?" She asked him. "You can't just be called 'The Doctor'." She pointed out. The Doctor turned and looked at her, indignant.

"Who says?" He challenged. Scarlet opened her mouth to retort, only to realise she had no answer. "Besides," He grinned. "It sounds cool, doesn't it?" He asked rhetorically, turning to the door as he played around with his screwdriver. Scarlet just laughed.

"You're completely mad." She announced. He looked at her again.

"Of course- you've only just caught on?" He asked. Then he growled and hit the door. "Stupid stupid thing!" He shouted at it. Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "I need to get the lock open but it's a deadlock seal, the one thing this thing," He held up his screwdriver. "Can't break through. Why do you even need a deadlock seal in a science lab anyway?" He asked with irritation. Scarlet resisted the urge to roll her eyes before fumbling in her pocket, finally pulling out a miniature pair of pliers and pushing the Doctor aside. Lifting up the panel Scarlet started working on rewiring it. 5 minutes later and the thing beeped once, once of the three lights glowing green, the first step in allowing them access to the room beyond. She turned and smiled smugly at him. "But, how-?" He asked.

"You're not the only person with a brain in this room." Scarlet reminded the man, returning to the panel and continuing to work. "Now, hush, I'm working." She scolded, working away on the tiny panel. The Doctor looked at her.

"Why do you have pliers in your pocket?" He asked. She just chuckled.

"Why do you have a screwdriver in yours?" Scarlet retorted fairly. The Doctor opened and shut his mouth a couple of times before deciding to stay silent. Suddenly, the door behind them banged loudly. Turning apprehensively, she saw the hooded figure at the door, staring in at them. "What are they, really?" She asked.

"I told you- aliens." He said. "Haven't I already been through this before?" The Doctor asked, staring at the creature as well.

"Well, yes, but I mean-they can't be _aliens_." Scarlet protested. "I mean, aliens aren't real, right?" She looked at the Doctor who stared back, deadly serious. "They, they're not right?" She checked. The Doctor's expression never shifted. "Oh God, they are, aren't they?" She realised. He nodded. Scarlet closed her eyes and groaned. "Great...that's just what I needed to hear." She muttered sarcastically. "Trapped in a room with an alien outside." Then she sighed. "Still it could be worse- I could be trapped in a room with an alien." She mused.

"Well about that..."The Doctor mumbled. Scarlet's back stiffened before she turned to him with wide, incredulous eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and waved.

"You're joking." She exclaimed. He shook his head. Throwing her hands in the air, she looked at him. "Great, anything else I need to know? Do you have extra limbs or perhaps a spaceship parked outside in the parking lot?" She asked with a huff.

"Well, I do have a TARDIS here..." He admitted. Making a noise of frustration Scarlet shook her head and turned back to the panel, jumping as the door banged again. Another green light flashed up. The Doctor slid down beside her as she worked. "You know, my spaceship...it travels anywhere in space. Anywhere and everywhere. And I mean _everywhere_." He confessed. Scarlet didn't react. "If, if you wanted, you could, well, come with me." He offered. Scarlet looked at him.

"What?" She breathed.

"Come with me. Travel. What do you say?" He asked. Before she could form a response, the door thudded again, this time opening slightly.

"I need to get this door open." She muttered, turning back to it and trying to calm her frantically beating heart. Sweat began dripping down her forehead as she rewired the complex circuitry in the lock of the door. Just a couple more wires...the door was suddenly flung open. Hastily fumbling to finish the circuit, the final light flashed up. Turning, Scarlet stood and saw the aliens advancing towards them. In the knowledge that these creatures were indeed, aliens, she felt even more terrified. Behind the Doctor, they both backed up.

"Who are you?" He asked confidently, staring down the two aliens. They didn't reply. "Now, I don't like being ignored so I'll ask again- who are you?" he demanded.

"We are nightmare." One hissed, it's voice raspy and low.

"We are nightmare, what does that mean?" The Doctor asked.

"We are nightmare." The same one repeated, still advancing. Scarlet frowned, pondering the statements.

"What nightmare?" She asked warily. Instantly their attention focused on her. "Well?" She asked, her voice barely shaking.

"Every nightmare." The second rumbled, its voice much lower than its comrade. "In every mind, in every child, every woman, every man. We are nightmare." It growled. Scarlet couldn't suppress a shiver.

"What do you want with these people?" The Doctor questioned. There was a long pause before the first one answered.

"Fear. We want fear." It rasped. The Doctor frowned. His eyes glanced down to the creatures' hands. Long hooked fingers poked out from underneath their cloaks, claws stretching downwards. Dark black smoke curled around the digits.

"On my count, run." The Doctor mumbled, watching as the woman beside him swallowed and nodded. "Well it's been lovely chatting but we really must be off so, I'll be going...now!" He shouted. Instantly Scarlet threw open the door and the two ran through. They heard the rustle of cloaks over tiles follow soon after.

The chase was on.

They ran down white corridors, running down the stairs and into the offices. Scarlet felt her heart pound against her ribcage, thundering as her feet slipped and slid over the floor as she ran, trying to keep up with the Doctor. The rustling behind them let them know they were still being followed. Rounding a corner, Scarlet turned to talk to the man beside her.

"So, where are we going?" She panted. The Doctor shrugged.

"Getting away. Hopefully get back to the TARDIS and, quick, this way!" He abruptly shouted, pulling her down a tiny side corridor and tugging her into a stationary cupboard, shutting the door. Sure enough the two hooded creatures glided past, unaware their prey was hidden away from them. As soon as they'd rounded a corner the Doctor and Scarlet slipped away, wandering back the way they'd come at a brisk pace, Scarlet occasionally glancing behind them nervously.

"So, this TARDIS, what's it look..." She trailed off when she spotted someone stood rooted to the spot in the middle of the corridor. But she recognised who it was instantly. How could she not? They'd worked together for around four years, became good friends and even had a weekly coffee date with each other. "Jack?" She asked warily. The man turned around and her file clattered to the floor.

**And I'll leave it there. Again thanks to the 2 people who've favourited my story- VioletK and Claudia151, but please would everyone else let me know what they think? I'd seriously appreciate the input!**

**Please review!  
Indi xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Due to having my internet spazz out on me due to my sister and her boyfriend staying on their computers 24/7 and use up most of our wireless internet capacity, I have been unable to post this chapter. So, if you really want to hate someone, hate them please :D That is all. And now, here's chapter 5.**

_Disclaimer: See chapters 1-4._

A scream almost bubbled up from her throat as she stared in horror at the man stood in front of her. His face was a deathly white, his eyes completely white, no pupils visible at all. And his mouth...it was gone. Nothing but blank skin stretched across where it would have been. She felt bile rise up into her mouth as she took in the grotesque lacerations over his hands and arms. His hands had morphed into claws and blood trickled from his hairline. His once whole suit had been slashed and ripped, showing the pale expanse of his torso that was miraculously unharmed.

"J-Jack?" She stammered. The man suddenly lurched towards the pair. "Jack, it's me, it's Scarlet." She pleaded with him, stumbling back. His stare remained blank, clawed hand rising as he stumbled forwards. Scarlet felt sick as she noticed the trail of blood he left behind. She glanced to the Doctor. "What did they do to him?" Scarlet demanded.

"I'm not sure. But we have to get away." The Doctor decided, stepping in front of her. Bringing out the screwdriver, a look of pain crossed his face. "I'm so sorry for this." He told Jack before pressing down on the button. A high pitched shriek emitted from the device and it sent Jack crumbling, the claws moving to cover his ears. Wordlessly the Doctor took Scarlet's hand and ran past him. "We have to get to the TARDIS. It might provide some answers." He said, already running down the corridor and dragging her along. Scarlet glanced behind at her fallen colleague.

"But Jack-!" She protested. The Doctor looked down.

"I'm sorry." He apologised quietly. "But there's nothing we can do for him. Not now anyway." He reasoned, hurrying her along down the corridor and down a flight of steps. Scarlet looked unsure, but held her tongue. The two ran through her office as the Doctor led her by the hand until Scarlet jerked to a halt. The Doctor turned to look at her. "What is it?" He asked of her. Scarlet stopped and looked around.

"There's no one here." She said, confused. The Doctor glanced over the room. Indeed, every chair was empty. There was nobody, not even someone stood by the coffee machine. He looked back at Scarlet's bemused face.

"And?" He prompted. She shook her head.

"When I left...they were all still working. Everyone was here." She walked over to a computer. It was still running, its screen still glowing as strings of data ran across it. Scarlet looked back to the Doctor. "It's like the whole place's been...abandoned." She said in disbelief. The Doctor joined her, flicking through some papers. Annotations were strewn over the printed sheets, then he stopped. One sheet was smeared with blood, the page above stuck to it. He touched it. It was still wet. The Doctor looked back to Scarlet. Without a sound, he grabbed her hand and tugged her along.

"We need to get out of here. Now." He said, his tone of voice leaving no room for discussion. A shiver creeping up her spine, Scarlet jogged alongside the Doctor. Pushing open a side door he walked into a stationary cupboard, the door swinging shut behind him. Letting go of his hand, Scarlet stared in confusion. Then he popped his head back out. "Well come on then!" He announced exasperatedly. When she still didn't move, he rolled his eyes and grasped her hand again. "Humans." He muttered before pulling her into the cupboard. Once inside, Scarlet gasped. The Doctor turned and watched her as the young woman stared around his ship in awe, waiting for the words he'd heard so often.

"...This isn't a stationary cupboard..." She mumbled. The Doctor blinked in surprise. Scarlet looked back at him. "Where are we?" She asked, walking up to him, eyes drifting around the ship. It was huge, a large column in the middle with a circular control panel around it, bizarre contraptions and strange devices strewn across it. The whole thing glowed with a warm orange light and it felt very welcoming in all. Beneath her feet was a sturdy floor, although rather slippery against her tights. Scarlet peered at the Doctor expectantly. He swept his arms open grandly.

"This, Miss Jackson, is my TARDIS! The one, the only, the best!" He proclaimed wildly. The lights flashed slightly as Scarlet giggled behind her hand. Gesturing for her to go to the control panel, The Doctor stepped aside and watched as she walked up to the console, fingers trailing across the coral-like surface lightly.

"So...if this is a spaceship, which I'm pretty sure it is, that means...you really are an alien." She decided, turning and leaning against the console to look at him. "So, what are you exactly?" Then she paled. "Oh God are you in league with those creatures outside?" She asked with fear. The Doctor looked mortified at the suggestion.

"Oh no! No, no, no, no, no! I am most certainly not!" He assured her. "But, I am a Time Lord." He confessed. Scarlet frowned.

"Wait...Jack's files mentioned something about Time Lords..." She muttered before suddenly slapping a hand to her forehead and groaning in despair. "My research! I dropped it!" She cried, crestfallen. The Doctor was preoccupied with something else however, sidling closer to her.

"How do _you_ know what's in somebody else's files?" He questioned suspiciously. Scarlet shrugged.

"I'm a scientist who graduated from Cambridge with one of the highest IQs of recent times and developing new theories for the creation of the universe, I'm smart enough to hack into some computer files- even if they are restricted." She pointed out. Her brow furrowed as she tried to recall what she'd seen. "...They said...something about Daleks...oh God I can't remember." She huffed. The Doctor stared at her until she squirmed a little under his gaze, uncomfortable. "What?" She demanded.

"You are extraordinary." He announced before tilting his head slightly. "Well, for a human anyway." He conceded. Then clapping his hands, he turned to the console. Scarlet snorted, twisting to look at him.

"Oh gee, thanks..." She mumbled sarcastically only for the Doctor to ignore her, too focused on his ship.

"Anyway, enough chit chat, we need to get out of here." He declared before running around, pushing buttons and grabbing levers. Then he looked over at her. "By the way, you may want to hold onto something." He advised before he disappeared again, punching in some co ordinates onto a keypad. "Where do you live, Jackson?" He asked abruptly.

"Er, Flat 17B on the Powell Estate, London, er, Earth." She supplied. "A couple of doors down from the abandoned flat." She added, trying to be helpful. From the other side of the console she didn't see the Doctor's pained look at her address. Then the penny dropped. "Wait a minute- you aren't materializing this thing in my flat!" She protested, eyes wild. "We'll destroy it!" Scarlet cried. The Doctor just stared at her and grinned.

"Too late, I've already set the co ordinates!" He said cheerily. Scarlet stared at him with horrified eyes. His hand rested over a lever and he looked at the woman beside him with a manic gleam to his eyes. "And off we go!" He said in a slightly hushed voice, before slamming the lever down.

And then the world went crazy.

Scarlet found herself clinging on for dear life as the floor jerked away from her, the entire ship twisting and tumbling as she tried to find some purchase. Realising she was still holding onto her heels, she hastily let them go and grabbed on to the console more firmly with both hands, slipping and sliding over the glass floor in her tights. The Doctor laughed with pure, unadulterated delight and she glanced over at the strange man incredulously.

"How the _hell_ can you enjoy this!?" She demanded furiously. The Doctor looked at her.

"Why, aren't you?" He shot back. Before Scarlet had chance to answer the ship gave a final lurch before sending them both careering to the ground. She landed awkwardly on her arm, moaning as she struck the floor. The Doctor however was already on his feet and heading for the door. Realising what had just occurred, Scarlet scrambled to her feet. She looked around briefly in search of her shoes before shrugging inwardly and running after the man-alien, she corrected herself mentally- before opening the door and stepping out. What she saw surprised her. Her flat. Which in itself wasn't unusual (save for the fact all her neatly organised papers were scattered across the room) but she had half expected it to be totally trashed. Looking back Scarlet saw a police phone box from the 1960s stood in her living room.

"_That's_ your spaceship?" She checked. The Doctor nodded, going over to pat the side fondly.

"Yeah, her Chameleon Circuit got damaged when I landed in the 1960s and she ended up stuck like this. Before hand if she'd landed say in 7th Century Rome she'd be some kind of statue on a plinth, for example." He explained, smiling at the ship fondly. "Personally I've grown attached to it by now."

"Wait, wait, wait- Chameleon Circuit?" Scarlet asked, confused. "And how the heck would you end up in the 1960s, or 7th Century Rome for that matter? I mean, it isn't like that thing travels through time..." She scoffed only to pause at the expression on the Doctor's face. "Oh you've got to be kidding me."

"Nope. TARDIS- _Time_ and relative dimension in space. Means I can travel anywhere, any _when_." He spoke proudly. Then he looked at her, and this time Scarlet felt like his eyes were piercing her soul, then almost laughed at how cliché that was. "You know, you never answered my question." He reminded her. Scarlet felt her heart jolt at his words.

"What?" She said after a second, not quite sure she'd heard right.

"You can come with me." He told her calmly. "Anywhere you want, anywhere in space or in time." He said, walking towards her. "What do you say?" He asked quietly.

"_Say yes!"_ A part of her bellowed. If that part of her mind had a form, it would probably be waving its arms frantically. _"Hello, anywhere in time __**and**__ space! You cannot pass that up!" _It pointed out. Finally, she spoke. "I-I-I can't!" She stammered out, blushing red. "I have work, and I-I can't just leave this, my family will want to know where I've gone and if I disappear for months on end..." She trailed off as the Doctor turned away.

"Oh it's fine, I understand. You humans have lives. Brilliant, messy, wonderful lives here." He looked back with a small smile and Scarlet felt her heart tear. "I certainly won't be the one to take you from that." He said softly. A strangely tense silence filled the room before The Doctor broke it and cleared his throat loudly. "So where do you keep your computer?" He enquired. Wordlessly Scarlet led him through to her bedroom where she started up her laptop. As she typed in the password, the Doctor looked at her. "Higgs Boson?" He asked so she shot him a look.

"Like many people would guess that." She retorted before getting up out of the seat allowing the man beside her to flop down into it instead and begin bringing up files. Scarlet watched with admiration at his skill. "What on earth is UNIT?" She asked.

"Unified Intelligence Task Force." The Doctor answered. "Deals with aliens, though uses far too many guns in my opinion, which is really the only opinion that matters." He spoke, causing Scarlet to roll her eyes. They spent the next ten minutes sifting through UNIT files only for the Doctor to get frustrated at the lack of information and go running back to the TARDIS, Scarlet close behind. Pulling the scanner across he began typing in information and peering into the monitor. "Let's see..." He mumbled, then his face went blank, eyes darkening.

"What is it?" She asked, leaning over to study the pages on the screen. "Do you know what they are?" She asked eagerly. The Doctor's gaze met hers, his face deadly serious.

"They're members of the Trickster's Brigade." He said. Scarlet felt a shiver trail up her spine as, for the first time, she detected a hint of fear within the Doctor's voice.

And that scared her more than she thought possible.


End file.
